Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépister

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The English translation of dépister is “to track down” or “to trace.”

The infinitive form of dépister is pronounced “day-peest-ay.”

The word dépister comes from the French prefix “de-” meaning “down” or “away” and the word “piste” meaning “track.” Therefore, its literal meaning is “to track down” or “to follow a trail.”

In everyday French, dépister is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je dépiste le voleur avant qu’il ne s’échappe. (I had to track down the thief before he escaped.)

  2. Nous cherchions un moyen de dépister cette maladie avant qu’elle ne se propage. (We were looking for a way to trace this disease before it spread.)

  3. Il était important que les détectives dépistent toutes les pistes possibles. (It was important for the detectives to track down all possible leads.)

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dépister

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dépistasse Si je pouvais, je dépistasse les symptômes plus tôt. If I could, I would detect the symptoms earlier.
tu dépistasses Tu guérirais vite si tu dépistasses le virus. You would recover quickly if you detected the virus.
il dépistât Il serait en sécurité si il dépistât les maladies. He would be safe if he detected diseases.
elle dépistât Elle aurait moins de soucis si elle dépistât tout de suite. She would have less worries if she detected right away.
on dépistât Si on dépistât tôt, on pourrait éviter les contagions. If one detected early, one could avoid contagions.
nous dépistassions Si nous dépistassions ensemble, on serait plus protégés. If we detected together, we would be more protected.
vous dépistassiez Si vous dépistassiez régulièrement, vous auriez la paix d’esprit. If you detected regularly, you would have peace of mind.
ils dépistassent S’ils dépistassent les virus, ils pourraient les éviter. If they detected viruses, they could avoid them.
elles dépistassent Si elles dépistassent les symptômes, elles pourraient se soigner. If they detected the symptoms, they could treat themselves.

Other Conjugations for Dépister.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb dépister
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister (this article)

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépister

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Dépister – About the French Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Imparfait, also known as the imperfect subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions, states, or conditions that are uncertain, subjective, or hypothetical in the past. It is used in a variety of situations, including wishes, doubts, emotions, and polite requests, and often occurs in dependent clauses following certain expressions and conjunctions.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Imparfait, you typically start with the third person plural (ils/elles) form of the verb in the imparfait (imperfect) tense. Then, you remove the -ent ending and add the appropriate endings:

– For regular -er verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.
– For regular -ir and -re verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

1. Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty: The Subjonctif Imparfait is used to express doubt or uncertainty about something that happened in the past.

Example: Il doutait qu’elle vînt à la fête. (He doubted that she came to the party.)

2. Wishes and Desires: It is used to express wishes or desires in the past.

Example: J’aurais aimé que tu fusses là. (I would have liked you to be there.)

3. Hypothetical Scenarios: The Subjonctif Imparfait is employed in hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: Si j’eusse su, j’aurais agi différemment. (If I had known, I would have acted differently.)
4. Polite Requests and Suggestions: It is used to make polite requests and suggestions in a formal or polite tone.

Example: Il souhaitait que vous vinssiez lui rendre visite. (He wished that you would come to visit him.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Subjonctif Présent

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used in dependent clauses with the Subjonctif Présent in the main clause, especially in complex sentences.

Example: Il faut que tu manges bien pour que tu aies de l’énergie. (You need to eat well so that you have energy.)

Indicatif Passé Composé

The Subjonctif Imparfait can be used alongside the Indicatif Passé Composé to indicate a contrast between a factual event and a hypothetical one.

Example: Il est parti avant que tu ne fusses arrivé. (He left before you arrived.)

Conditional

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used with the Conditional to express unreal or hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: J’aurais pu le faire si j’eusse eu plus de temps. (I could have done it if I had had more time.)

Conditional Perfect

It can also be used with the Conditional Perfect to express unreal or hypothetical past events that would have occurred before other past events.

Example: J’aurais su s’il eût partagé l’information. (I would have known if he had shared the information.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Imparfait is a relatively complex tense, and its usage depends on the context and the verbs involved. It is essential to practice and become familiar with common expressions and contexts where this tense is appropriate to use it effectively in everyday French communication.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb dépister. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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